Love Is In the Ed
by abbyzelda
Summary: Kevin has been acting unusual lately, and Edd isn't sure what to make of it. Sometimes a simple note is all it takes ...
1. Chapter 1

**All right, first things first. The only reason I took this fanfic down (if anyone still remembers it) is because, to be honest, I wasn't entirely pleased with how some of it turned out. Therefore, I rewrote it. Don't worry, the plot and everything's still the same, I just scratched out some minor subplots (namely, Eddy's) that weren't going anywhere. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

It was official—Eddward hated school. He could no longer deny it. And he despised himself for it.

Sighing, Edd slipped out of bed and went to his closet to pick out his usual clothes.

"We meet again, my good friend," he said as he held out his plain shirt, bright orange like a basketball.

Of course it wasn't the educational merit that bothered Edd. That was one aspect of school he had always enjoyed. Even if he was too smart to actually learn anything.

Poised in front of the mirror, he adjusted his black cap over his fine strands of fuzzy blonde hair. He'd promised that someday he would be brave enough to go to school without his signature hat, but, of course, that wasn't today.

"Maybe some other day," Edd said, tucking away some loose bangs inside of his hat.

Edd couldn't complain about the teachers either. Especially dear, sweet Ms. Marian—which just happened to be Eddward's middle name. But, unlike the other kids, the teacher wasn't amused by this fact. In fact, she'd seemed rather flattered, much to the delight of the most rational of the three Eds. Edd always strived to make a good impression with his fellow professors. Now if only it could be that easy with the rest of the cul-de-sac.

"I got a new eraser, Double D!" Ed announced happily as they walked along the sidewalk. "He smells like vanilla. His name is Chip!"

"Mmm, that's nice Ed," Edd said somewhat distractedly. His pulse started to speed up as they approached the building up ahead. _Here goes nothing … _

No, there was only one particular reason why Eddward, Edd, or more casually, "Double D" was not fond of the educational institute known as Peach Creek Junior High.

"Hey dorks!"

Kevin.

Edd couldn't remember a time when Kevin didn't go out of his way to make their lives miserable. Of course, it was Eddy whom he really hated. Those two had always been sworn enemies. Yet somehow, being associated with the scamming dwarf automatically rendered Edd a dork. That was what puzzled him.

Sure, Edd did always go along with Eddy's perpetual scams (like he had a say in the matter), but as far as he could remember, he had never done anything to purposely upset or rub the jock the wrong way. So why did he deserve to get the fire? After all, wasn't kindness and generosity what really mattered? Or had the world just gone completely insane?

Of course, he also felt empathy towards his taller, monobrowed companion, since he was targeted for their lousy scams too. However, Ed didn't seem as bothered by this hostility, since the merry teenager's attention usually never extended beyond the occasional new sci-fi film, or as of recently, pretty females.

Like the one standing beside Kevin right now.

"Be nice, Kevin," Nazz said gently, then smiled at Ed and Edd. "Hey dudes."

Ed drooled. "Nazz…"

"S-salutations, Nazz," Edd stuttered. He could barely concentrate at all. Nazz was undeniably the most beautiful girl in the cul-de-sac. By Edd's standards, she could easily become a model. And now that they were in eighth grade, their final year of junior high, she was truly a sight to behold. Her shimmering, golden hair now reached the middle of her back; her magnetic blue eyes could cast spells, and she had a set of petite hands that looked beautiful even without the manicures. Yes sirree, she was quite a babe.

"Where's Eddy?" she asked, looking around.

"You mean, where's dorky," Kevin scoffed. "I haven't seen his sorry ass in ages. Not that I want to. That rat can go-"

"We should get going!" Nazz thankfully cut in. "See you later guys!"

"Yeah, see ya later. Dorks!" Kevin laughed as he walked away from his petty victims.

Edd felt his cheeks burning, yet somehow it wasn't Kevin's threatening words that caused this to happen, but rather … Kevin himself. Edd had never been able to dislike the mean-spirited jock like he was supposed to. He couldn't figure out why. Every time he looked at his face, something strange stirred inside him. Maybe it was his luminescent eyes, or his enthralling nose. Perhaps it was the way one of his bangs that fell out of his red cap lightly stroked the tip of his eyelashes.

_Could I possibly be, attracted to Kevin? … Of course not, what am I thinking? That's ridiculous. It's probably Nazz's heavenly aura that infested the air. Ahh, Nazz … _

Reassured, Edd waved goodbye to his clumsy friend and headed towards his first class, English. He smiled as he saw his favourite teacher sitting at her desk.

After conversing politely with Ms. Marian, Edd walked over to his desk. He shook his head once he saw the empty desk beside his. "Playing hooky again, are we Eddy?" He sighed and sat down just as soon as the bell rang. He would have given a lecture to Eddy about how skipping school accomplishes nothing and is not _cool_, but of course Eddy wasn't there to hear it. Edd was disappointed that he had no one to whom give his daily lectures. He liked being the mature voice of reason within the rambunctious trio … even if his meaningful words often fell on deaf ears.

"Hiya Double D." Edd looked to his right to see a grinning, eager girl, and nervously forced a smile.

"Oh, greetings, Sarah." Edd had assumed Ed's bratty younger sister would have gotten over her childish crush on him by now, but if anything, it had only proliferated. And all he'd done was given her a flower. But he still blamed himself.

Ever since she'd been placed in Edd's English class (who knew she was so advanced in literature?) Sarah would always take advantage of Eddy's 'absences', which had become more and more frequent, and wander on over to his unoccupied desk. Edd had never found it in his heart to tell Jimmy she was coming on to him, but he was suspicious the younger boy already knew as much, from the way he desperately clung on to Sarah whenever Edd was around and shot him dirty looks whenever he passed by.

And God forbid he should tell Sarah her advances were in vain. While she did reserve a soft spot for the delicate Ed boy, there was no telling what Sarah'd do if she didn't get her way like she was used to. And given Ed's (over)protection towards the girl, Edd feared he might react in a way that would be quite unpleasant. And possibly painful.

Yet, as he watched Sarah twirl her hair and flutter her eyelashes and whatnot, he couldn't help but yearn that a certain other redhead would pay this much attention to him.

_There I go again! What on earth is the matter with me? Thinking this nonsense. I should drink more water._

As soon as Sarah started to preoccupy herself by texting, Eddward reached into his schoolbag and pulled out a hardcover copy of 'Of Mice and Men' in order to clear his head, trying to escape into a world where he could set his troubles free.

* * *

"I wish you weren't so hard on the Eds," Nazz was saying to Kevin as they walked to first-period Math. "Especially Ed and Double D."

"Come on, Nazz," Kevin grinned. "Those guys are like a menace to society. Someone needs to put them in their place. Besides, I was just messing around with them."

"Oh, really?" Nazz said, clearly annoyed. "Were you 'messing around with them' when you gave them wedgies and hung them off a tree?"

Kevin began to sweat. _Why did I even tell her that? _"That was one time! Besides, it was just another one of dorky's scams. The dork practically encouraged me to do it."

"That's another thing, Kev," Nazz sighed. "Why do you insist on calling them that? I mean, no offence dude, but saying dorks is pretty childish. We're going to be in high school next year, and if you're going to keep acting this way, then … I'm not sure I'll want to hang out with you anymore."

_Lie. I'll always love you Kevin. Damn it girl, don't cry. Not in front of your man. _

Nazz blinked a few times and swallowed. Then she continued, "Look, all I'm saying is maybe don't be so rough, okay? I know Double D's kind of a pushover, and Ed's … not as smart as Double D, but that doesn't give you the right to insult them like that. Even Eddy seems like he could be a pretty cool guy if you get to know him. They have feelings too. Okay?" She gave a caring smile. It was the kind of look that would have sent every other male flying over the moon, but Kevin was focusing on something else. Or rather, someone else.

_Double D. Man, why do you have to hang around that idiot and his friend? Everything would be so much easier for both of us if you just left them for good. _

But that had always been his most critical flaw. He always asked for too much.

He found his will to answer. "You're right, Nazz. I'll try to tone it down."

"I knew you would," she said, "Let's get to class before we're late, okay?"

She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, which she still considered a friendship gesture, although deep down she knew she wanted so much more than that. Kevin numbly went along. He knew he should have felt privileged, gratified. But all he could feel was emptiness.

As they marched in to class, Kevin couldn't stop thinking about the conversation. He didn't really enjoy taunting the Eds as much as he led people to believe. Yeah, sometimes he did get a few kicks out of it, but that was only when he was aiming his disgust at Eddy. Not Ed, and especially not Edd. And his recent attempts had become more and more artificial and half-hearted. It was almost like he was forcing himself to keep up the charade.

He sat down and opened his textbook.

_Why though? I've pretty much got it made. Unless … _

He stopped copying formulas from the board as Edd's smiling face popped into his head.

_Kevin, you crazy dork. _


	2. Chapter 2

"I certainly hope you're happy with yourself," Edd spoke into the phone. "While you were on your personal vacation today, I was forced to work with Sarah on a descriptive exercise the teacher assigned us. Do you know how awkward it was to listen to her describe my eyes as 'spellbinding crystal pearls'? My face was redder than a blood cell!"

"Oh, cry me a river, Shakespeare," Eddy barked. "You lived. Now hurry up and meet me at my house in five. We got a scam to worry about!" And with that, he hung up.

Edd groaned loudly and plunked his head onto his bedroom desk. _Scam _had become his least favourite word. Well, it was bound to, after hearing Eddy say it so many times over the years. But Eddy had been going particularly overboard with scam after scam over the last month or so. And Edd was really not looking forward to whatever embarrassing scheme the young con artist had cooked up this time.

He walked outside into the ambient streets of the cul-de-sac, already feeling nervous. While Edd admitted he _may _have enjoyed partaking in a few of Eddy's infamous scams, (at least the ones that were non-destructive) that was no longer the case. He felt horrible being firsthandedly involved in his pal's endless hunts for quarters. His scams were still more or less harmless—thank God—but Edd would always feel like an accomplice. Or worse yet, a slave. And yet he continued to obey his master's commands.

"Of all the far-fetched, hopeless, irrational ideas …" Edd was nearly at a loss for words when he arrived at his wily friend's front yard. There, on the grass, three lawn chairs sat spread three feet apart from each other, right next to a table cluttered with kid's safety scissors, combs, water-filled bowls, Ed's mom's curling iron, shampoos, hairspray, bobby pins, a hair dryer, bathroom towels, and hand mirrors resting on a stack of rain ponchos. On the table hung a large sign with the words 'Salon Chevaux' spelled in fancy writing. **(A/N: Yes, that is an intentional mistake.) **

"A hair salon?" Edd cried. "Eddy, you realize no one is actually going to fall for this-" he cringed at the word "-scam. We're not even licensed hairdressers!"

"Well, duh!" Eddy rolled his eyes. "We're too young to get driver's licenses, genius. Now go make yourself useful and stand over there, Sockhead. Nazz and the suckers are coming!"

Edd walked over and stood next to Ed. He sure enough saw an approaching Nazz, Kevin, and oddly enough, a Jimmy-less Sarah.

"Welcome folks!" Eddy greeted with his game show host-like enthusiasm. "Come make yourself at home. Here at Salon Chevaux, we'll fix your pesky mane at a quality you won't find anywhere else, all for twenty-five cents!" He eagerly grabbed the quarter jar and held it out in front of his 'clientele'.

"Wow, this looks pretty sweet," Nazz said, admiring the mock-salon. "And I have been meaning to get my roots touched up, but I don't want to go all the way to a salon and pay ten times as much money."

"Yeah, and my split ends are killing me," Sarah said, uncharacteristically not laughing at or ridiculing the scam. Really, though, she was only interested in two things: Edd cutting her hair, and looking her best for him. She suddenly stopped once she saw what was on the table. "Are those my bobby pins?!"

"You know, Kevin, since we're here, maybe you should get a haircut too," Nazz suggested. "That way we can both look snazzy."

Kevin sighed. He didn't really have very much else to do, and he didn't want to look like a bellyacher to Nazz, so he said, "Choice," but without any sort of enthusiasm in his voice. They all gave Eddy his desired fees.

Eddy was overjoyed. "Great, I'll take that, thank you very much!" He ran over to Nazz and grabbed her hand, leading her over to one of the chairs. "And _I'll _take the lady. Ed, you can take care of your sister."

"Do I get a family discount?" Sarah asked.

"NO ONE GETS A DISCOUNT!" Eddy roared.

Sarah slumped on one of the chairs and folded her arms. "Then you better make it good or else I'm tellin' mom!"

"O-okay Sarah," Ed nervously said. Then he walked over to the supply table. "Rock … paper … SCISSORS!" He smiled as he got out a pair.

"_Aaaand_ I guess you're stuck with Shovel Chin," Eddy said, walking up to Edd with a smirk on his face. "Mr. No-one's-going-to-fall-for-this-scam."

"Fine, _Skipper_," Edd retorted.

Eddy growled. "Get snippin'!" He shoved a poncho and a pair of scissors onto Edd's body. Edd muttered a few angry phrases to himself as he walked over to the middle lawn chair where Kevin was sitting, although it looked more like he was lying on the chair.

"About time you got here, dork," Kevin said. "Now chop-chop! I didn't pay twenty-five cents for nothin'."

Just like that, Edd's temporary vex wore off. He cleared his throat. "Er, of course. My apologies, Kevin." He gave a small nervous chuckle, and was about to wrap the poncho around Kevin's body as a lame substitute for a barber's cloth, but then realized Kevin probably wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing something so ridiculous, so he tossed the makeshift cloth aside. He then realized something important was sitting in the way of his task.

"Um, Kevin?"

A loud sigh swarmed Edd's ears.

"Your … cap."

Kevin turned briskly around to face Edd, one of his arms slung over the back of the chair. "What about it?"

Edd was momentarily struck speechless. There they were again, those luminescent green eyes. Making _him _the subject of Kevin's vision. Giving Edd that miraculous spotlight he rarely received.

He quickly pulled himself together, remembering he had yet to provide a fathomable response.

"I'll need to remove that headwear in order to cut your hair." Edd quickly glanced at the ground. He knew that everything he was saying at the moment made him sound like an idiot, yet he always felt the need to take extra caution when dealing with Kevin. He was, after all, a pretty violent person when pushed to his limits, and Edd could never know for sure when he reached those limits.

Kevin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Go ahead, dork. It won't bite ya." He turned back around.

Edd sighed in relief. He slowly brought a hand to Kevin's prominent crimson cap, but accidentally touched a part of Kevin's head as well. Kevin flinched at the contact; Edd felt a small shiver. Both tried to act as if nothing had happened, as Edd carefully pulled off the garment. It felt so natural that he was almost tempted to take off his own hat. Thankfully, he managed to stop himself before acting upon that impulse.

Then he was speechless again. It had been so long since he'd seen Kevin without his hat on that he'd almost forgotten what there was under there. Although he was certain there hadn't been _this _much hair before. It was almost a shame he'd have to cut it.

Then Edd realized the gravity of the situation at hand. He was going to cut Kevin's hair. Without any experience whatsoever. How on earth had he let himself be talked into this? And now it was too late to refuse to do it. He couldn't give Kevin back his money since Eddy was guarding the quarter jar like an eagle looking over her nest. _Oh dear._

"Hey, what's the big deal?" Kevin asked. "I'm kind of just sitting here, you know."

Edd, sweating, quickly looked around for any way to postpone the daunting task. His eyes stopped when he saw the one of the water bowls on the table.

"Eureka! I mean … Kevin, would you like a complimentary shampoo?"

Kevin turned around again. "You sayin' my hair's dirty?"

Edd began to sweat once more. "N-no, of course not! I-I was just offering, I mean, you don't have to, it was just-"

"_Relax, _man_. _I was just kidding." A playful smirk unfolded on Kevin's lips. "And yeah, a wash would be nice. If it's not that much trouble."

Edd felt heat rush to his face. _Why must you always overreact? _"Right, then. This way please." He led Kevin over to lie on a chair posed near one of the bowls and Kevin placed his head in the water. Edd poured some shampoo into his hands. He then brought those hands closer to his face and smiled as he inhaled the scent of lilacs. However, he suddenly realized, this might be too feminine for Kevin. Edd feared it might be downright insulting Kevin if he used a _flower _shampoo. But then again, those were the only kinds of hair care products Eddy had bothered to bring. He sighed as he realized once again his skinflint friend had failed to think this through.

Then he realized something else. He was certain this was the longest Kevin had ever gone without calling him a dork.

"Everything okay, dork?" Edd heard the recumbent jock speak. _And of course, I jinxed it. _

But the word didn't sound as hostile as it normally did. It sounded much more … tender.

"Yes, Kevin, everything's fine," Edd finally managed to answer. Then, forgetting about his previous concern, he started to rub the boy's scalp; soon a plethora of bubbles appeared in the water.

Kevin tensed up as soon as he felt Edd's hands touched his hair. Yet, almost immediately he began to relax, and he closed his eyes. Edd's touch was so gentle, soothing, almost inviting. If he hadn't known it was Edd, Kevin would have thought for sure it was a woman massaging his scalp; not in a negative way, quite the opposite in fact.

Edd was enjoying it too. Kevin's hair was soft, like silk. Edd was surprised he was so calm about this. He had to remind himself that Kevin and him were _not _friends, and that he was just doing this as a favour. A really pleasant favour.

"Are you comfortable, Kevin?" Edd asked without meaning to. He immediately wanted to slap his hands over his mouth. _What am I saying?! That sounds so suggestive! _

Fortunately, the other boy didn't seem to be focusing too closely on Edd's words. "Huh? Yeah, it's nice."

After counting to forty seconds in his head, Edd decided now would be a good time to wrap it up.

"All done!" he announced. Edd grabbed a hose from the yard and rinsed Kevin's now spotless hair. Kevin got up and followed Edd back to his original chair.

_All right, Eddward, stay calm. Now is not a good time for panic. You're holding a pair of scissors, for crying out loud. _

Edd's hands were shaking as he stared at the tangerine hair in front of him. He looked down at the innocent safety scissors balanced on his fingers and gulped. _Why, Eddy, why do you make me do this? _

He knew he couldn't afford to wreck even a lock of Kevin's hair, yet he was terrified he would end up making a deadly mistake. Edd certainly knew his way around most things (how else do you think he got straight A's in school?) but hairdressing was not something he considered up his alley. Finally finding courage, he tried to ignore the enormous pressure as he slowly and carefully brought the scissors to their destination. Cutting through the hair follicle was a bit tricky since the blades of the scissors were so dull, but he eventually found his way around it. Edd's tongue was sticking out as he concentrated on his efforts. Slowly and slowly the blades of the scissors began to inch closer together. Closer, closer, closer …

Snip.

Edd watched as the strands of ginger hair tumbled to the grass. _There. Now was that so difficult? _

Snip. Snip.

He suddenly stopped. "Kevin? Just how much did you want me to take off?"

There was a short pause. "Whatever you think is necessary, baby."

Edd's eyes widened and his cheeks were no longer pale. _Baby? _

He continued cutting, trying, as with almost anything he does, to be careful and precise. Although he wished he had a ruler or something to be even more precise.

Kevin was really hoping Edd wouldn't screw up; partly because although he wore his cap virtually 24/7, this was his hair on the line. But mostly, because it would mean he'd have to force himself to be mad at Edd, and he hated even pretending to be mad at him. The look of hurt and shame in Edd's soft eyes would crush Kevin.

Ten suspenseful minutes passed. Finally, Edd made the final cut with the scissors and stood back to examine his work; he was pleasantly surprised. A little uneven, yes, but overall, Edd didn't think he'd done such a bad job. Especially for a rookie.

But then he realized, it wasn't his opinion that mattered the most. Suddenly his heart began pounding, as he went to the table to find a mirror. What if Kevin didn't like it? It would be such a shame if, after a period of time that they'd somehow managed to get along, it would have to be ruined.

_Take it easy, Eddward. You did try your hardest. _He held his breath as he handed Kevin the sweaty mirror.

"Voila! She is finished!" Eddy whipped out another mirror and put it in Nazz's hand. "Now, do you look like a million bucks or what?"

Nazz was very surprised when she saw her new look. She would have never guessed Eddy was so talented at hairstyling. Her now fully blonde hair was expertly trimmed, and pressed into bouncy curls. She admired herself before saying, "Wow, it looks awesome dude! But where did you learn how to do this?"

"My big bro taught me," Eddy said proudly. "He taught me all the tricks."_ Including how to get chicks. _

"Thanks Eddy!" Nazz wrapped Eddy into a hug, sending the short boy into a quick daze.

_I … I think I'm in heaven. Thanks, bro! _

Kevin looked at himself in the mirror. _Wow. The dork really did it. He actually cut my hair. _

He looked over at Edd who looked like he was ready to have a heart attack. Then he realized—he was waiting for Kevin's input. Well, Kevin was actually fairly impressed, especially considering this was an amateur salon and all. He knew he should say something positive, and yet the words just didn't seem to formulate—Edd's tender, but very anxious brown eyes were almost paralyzing Kevin. He'd never paid much attention to the eyes' composition, but now that he did, the entire world seemed to dissolve around him.

Finally, he spoke up, "Uh, it looks really-" Unfortunately, he was cut off by Sarah's loud scream.

"ED! WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?!"

* * *

Nazz sat on her bed, quickly dialing those familiar numbers. She thought that since Eddy had done such a good job of making her look nice, she might as well go out. However, it wouldn't be as much fun to go alone.

Nazz began to bite her lip as she waited for the call to go through. She took a deep breath as she heard the third beep.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi Kevin. It's me."

"Nazz … hey. What's up?"

"Um … I was just wondering. It's a really nice day today, maybe we can, like, take your bike and go for a ride? Or if you don't want to, you can just come over to my house and we can chill. My parents aren't home tonight."

She waited anxiously. _Come on … _

"Jeez, sorry Nazz. Maybe some other day. I got homework to catch up on and stuff. Talk to you later." Beep.

Nazz let the phone drop and flopped down onto the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she sighed.

"What am I doing wrong?"

This wasn't the first time Kevin had turned down an opportunity like this. In fact, Nazz couldn't remember the last time they had actually gone out, just the two of them. And the more he kept declining, the more hurt she was. She turned her head and saw one of her favourite pictures sitting on her nightstand. Just for the sake of remembrance, Nazz took the picture and stared at it for a long time.

It was the two of them sitting on the sand, taken on that day the Eds had tried to rob Kevin's spot at the beach. A soft smile glazed her face. Kevin's arm was wrapped around her as she snuggled closer to him, eyes closed blissfully. She remembered how happy she felt, sitting right next to her 'man'. Now, she wondered whether he had ever loved her at all.

Nazz put the picture down and stared back at the ceiling. How ironic that she could have any boy right at her fingertips … except the one that she truly desired.

_You're losing your magic, girl. _

* * *

_What the hell is wrong with me? _

Kevin stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He'd turned her down yet again. Just months ago, he would have jumped at any opportunity to spend time with Nazz, but now he felt like he'd done it all already. He felt it might be unfair, and possibly selfish to use Nazz as a decoy for his true desires, but yet he didn't feel ready to reject her once and for all just yet. Although he wished she'd stop getting her hopes up. He knew that overpowering attraction he'd manifested before was never coming back.

He walked downstairs and started thinking about the latest excuse he'd given.

_Busy with homework, yeah right. Since when do I give a damn about homework? Who am I turning into, Double D?_

He stopped walking and smiled. _Man, I really miss that dork … Who am I kidding, didn't I just see him like an hour ago? _

Kevin didn't try to deny his feelings for Edd, at least not anymore. But he really wished this sudden romantic shift didn't have such bad timing. Why couldn't he develop a crush on him in maybe four years, when they were in college? When it was 'okay' for these things to happen?

_Would I still see him by then? Would he like me back? _

That last thought suddenly struck fear into Kevin's heart. He'd been meaning to do something about this Edd situation eventually, but he'd never considered that maybe his love might only go one-way. And if he waited too long, Edd might find someone else.

Trying to think of something less depressing, Kevin remembered why he was looking in the mirror earlier. He hadn't worn his cap ever since he'd gotten that haircut, feeling like it would be a shame to hide Edd's decent work. However, he hadn't gotten a chance to say thank you properly to the 'hairdresser'. Kevin wasn't the type of guy that would go around thanking people, he always felt like that would soften his cryptic exterior. Usually a quick grunt, or a muttered _thanks _was the closest Kevin got to those two words. But he knew it would be the proper thing to do now, belated or otherwise.

However, he was stumped on how exactly he was going to accomplish this deed. Should he wait until the next time he saw Edd (which might not be until tomorrow) and casually bring it up? Or just walk over to his house and thank him? Then again, if he did do that, it would likely mean Edd would have to invite him in. _But then again, that wouldn't be such a bad thing… _

Kevin shook his head. He had to be realistic. He looked outside the living room window across the street. Edd's house was diagonal from his, and right now he could see the apron-clad Ed boy washing dishes in the kitchen. A smile crossed his lips. He loved how Edd was so loyal to his parents, always doing whatever chores they planted upon him. Kevin felt like he had it easy; yeah, he sometimes got a chore or two, but he was mostly his own man in his house.

He remembered he had still not figured out how he was going to give Edd his well-deserved thank you, and he looked around the living room as if something in his house would give him an idea. Suddenly, he saw the phone resting by the sofa.

"Perfect."

* * *

Edd was inspecting the ginger locks of hair in his hands. He didn't know what had come over him; those orange strands had innocently just managed to land in his pocket after he had cut them. Maybe it was that desperate feeling that this was the only opportunity he was ever going to get to treasure something of Kevin's, but even that couldn't justify what possessed him to pocket his hair. He felt like a lunatic, a stalker. If anyone, he would have expected to steal Nazz's hair, not Kevin's. Edd liked to think he knew his way around himself, everything he did was for a reason. But try as hard as he might, he could not fathom how or why he had done this.

_Didn't some admirers of Beethoven preserve locks of his hair before he was buried? … Good lord. What does that say about me? _

Edd put the treasured hairs inside a plastic bag, sealed it, and stuffed it in a drawer. He locked the drawer and hid the key inside his hat. Bewildered, Edd decided to go do some chores to distract himself. He certainly had many to choose from, given the array of sticky notes scattered all around the house. He decided to start with the dishes, since the kitchen was the farthest away from that nasty drawer in his bedroom.

Edd hummed happily to himself as he scrubbed the plates; unlike most kids his age, Edd actually enjoyed doing household chores (except for mowing the lawn). It was relaxing for him and he loved that feeling of being a good child and helping his parents (even if he didn't get to see them that often). He was on the third plate when he heard the phone ringing from the living room. Edd hated to interrupt one of his chores, so he let the answering machine pick up the call.

"Greetings, this is Eddward's residence. I am currently unable to respond to your call. Please leave your name and your number and I will return your call momentarily."

Beep.

"Hey dork."

Edd froze. _No_…

"Uh, it's Kevin … just in case you lost a couple of brain cells and you don't recognize my voice. Anyways, uh, I didn't get a chance to say thanks earlier, for the haircut, so … thanks. Yeah. Talk to ya later, Edd."

Edd stood, stunned; the dishrag stuck on the surface of the plate. He realized he had accidentally left the water running during the entire message, and the sink was about to overflow. He hastily reached out to turn off the tap, but soon his mind was swarmed with clouded thoughts.

He rested his head on his arm as he unintentionally sighed with joy.

"He … called me Edd."


	3. Chapter 3

Edd sat upright in his bed, gasping and wide awake. He looked at his alarm clock. It was still early in the morning. He remembered that it was Monday, everyone's least favourite day of the week. Realizing that there was no chance of getting any more sleep, Edd wiped sweat off his brow and got out of bed.

The fourteen-year-old slowly began chewing on his breakfast, his face burning bright red in shame as he thought of the dream he'd just experienced. He had never had any dreams like this. And he was frightened.

The images were still fresh and vivid in his mind. The stroking, the grabbing … the licking. He had touched Kevin in places that were anything but innocent. And he'd _enjoyed _it.

He felt so ashamed. He'd been taught better than this. And yet, that small but increasingly overpowering part of him kept wishing it was real.

_One thing is certain, _Edd thought to himself as he grabbed his satchel to head off to school. _I must, and cannot tell anyone about this._

* * *

As usual, Eddy was nowhere to be seen. Edd sighed as he braced himself for yet another period of pointless flirting from Sarah. However, as Edd walked with Ed along the hallways to his class, he noticed a lot of kids whispering and staring at him. Jimmy gave Edd a particularly icy glare.

Edd looked at Ed as if he might know something about all this. However, the tall, confused boy shrugged and said, "Not a clue, Double D."

Perplexed, Edd hesitantly strode into his classroom. Immediately after arriving at his desk, Edd saw why so many people had been whispering and giggling outside in the halls. Sarah was sitting there, wearing a black beanie on her head … along with an orange shirt, purple bermuda shorts, and red socks. Edd slowly sat down and stared astonishingly at Sarah. He could understand the beanie, obviously worn to hide that disastrous haircut Ed had given the other day—although he wished she'd chosen a different colour—but to replicate his entire outfit right down to his cyan shoes?

And _he'd _felt like a lunatic for pocketing Kevin's hair.

"Good morning, Double D," Sarah greeted with a smile so wide Edd thought it might surpass her face.

"G-greetings, S-Sarah. My, you certainly look … resembling today."

"Whaddaya think? Like my new look?"

Edd could hardly gather his thoughts. He gulped and asked nervously, "Um, Sarah? Why exactly are you dressed like me?" _And more importantly, where did you obtain those clothes? _

Sarah shrugged. "Well, I wore the hat to cover up what my idiot brother did to my hair, and then thought that while I was at it, I might as well try on some of your other clothes."

Edd shuddered. Had she really used the haircut as an excuse to attempt to woo him by 'borrowing' his whole persona? It was true, Edd had felt initially flattered that time Eddy had mimicked him, but that had been strictly for fun. Not … this. Edd worried that Sarah's crush on him was beginning to get out of hand.

About twenty minutes into the lesson, Edd realized he had completely forgotten to bring his assigned novel for silent reading. Sheepishly, but a bit relieved that he could get away from Sarah's distracting flirting, he raised his hand and asked to be excused.

He rushed off to his locker, trying to focus solely on retrieving his necessary book and not peeking into a certain someone's classroom. Someone he had just dreamed about that morning.

* * *

Almost halfway through class, kids were working on their assigned arithmetic problems. Kevin, however, was bored stiff. His sheet of paper was completely blank save for his name written on the top. He laid down his pencil on the sheet of paper and began to absent-mindedly scribble something on the centre of the sheet.

A medium-sized, not exactly circular head, with two dots and a smile on its face. The head connected to a longish neck connected to a shirt and tie and a pair of shorts, followed by two arms and legs, one arm holding a small magnifying glass. Then the pencil wandered back up to the head, and drew a sock-like hat, shaded black, with a few strands of blonde hair peeking out from underneath the material.

"What are you drawing, Kev?"

Kevin looked up to see Nazz staring down at the piece of paper. Suddenly realizing what he had done, his eyes widened in horror. "Oh, uh, n-nothing!" he stammered, crumpling up the sheet and shoving it in his pocket. "Uh, I just remembered. The coach has to … talk to me … about something, so …" He got up and sprinted towards the door. No one except Nazz seemed to notice him leave.

"Kev?"

Kevin was agitated as he paced the hallways.

_Great, just great. It's not enough I can't stop fantasizing about that dork, now I got to draw him too?_

He sighed, and continued walking. He wasn't exactly sure where he was planning to go, he just needed to get away from the sexual tension that was sure to erupt if he stayed in his classroom a second longer.

Kevin was so distracted that he didn't notice he was walking right into someone. Apparently the other person didn't notice him either, because soon they collided with each other and ended up dizzily lying on the floor. Kevin could already feel his blood boiling; whoever had bumped into him was going to regret it. He looked up to see who it was.

"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry Kevin!"

_Shit._

Edd offered a hand out to Kevin after standing up; Kevin felt a tingling rush hit his body as soon as he took the hand.

"I suppose my head must have been in the clouds. I hope you're all right!" Edd cried, concern showing in his pinecone eyes.

Kevin looked down at his empty hand; the rush from holding Edd's hand just seconds ago was still there. He wished he could hold on to it just a bit longer. Kevin sighed, and rubbed his sore back. "Yeah, just watch where you're going next time …"

Edd was slightly surprised. He'd naturally feared the worst after bumping into Kevin, but the jock didn't look mildly peeved. He hadn't even called him a dork. Edd wondered if the fall might have injured Kevin's brain.

Suddenly, Edd noticed the crumpled piece of paper on the floor that flew out of Kevin's pocket when he fell.

"What's this?" he asked, bending down to pick up the mysterious paper.

Kevin's eyes widened. "Wait! Don't-" He tried to reach out to grab the uncrumpled sheet from Edd's hands, but it was too late. He saw Edd curiously peering down at the picture; soon, a smile began to grow on his face.

"Well, this is a rather amusing drawing!" Edd said. "Why, it's a cute little fellow, with a shirt and a tie, and is that a magnifying glass? Oh, and he's got blonde hair too- oh." Edd stopped, and his smile vaporized as he realized that this wasn't just any random drawing. He looked up at Kevin, turning the picture around and pointing to it, and asked, "Kevin? Is this supposed to be myself?"

Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. "Y-yeah, see, uh, me and Nazz were bored, so we kinda had this bet, t-to see who could draw you better … Guess she owes me lunch now. Heh."

Edd was now looking at the picture again, his eyes wide open. "Kevin, I must say, this picture is remarkable! I have no idea how I did not recognize that it was me at right away. Why, you even got the gap in my teeth! I am quite impressed by this drawing. May I … keep it?" He looked up at Kevin, smiling.

Kevin was surprised, and wasn't sure if he wanted to let Edd keep his drawing, since he was still embarrassed. _Ah, who cares? He's already seen it. Plus, how can I say no to those eyes? _

"Uh, sure, whatever," Kevin said, looking away.

Edd's eyes lit up. "Oh thank you, Kevin! I was just heading to my locker to retrieve my book to read in class. This will make such a lovely decoration for my plain locker!"

As Edd made his way to his soon-to-be-decorated locker, he started to think about the interaction that had just taken place with Kevin and himself. Kevin said he had drawn him as a bet between him and Nazz.

_But why would they choose me?_

Edd couldn't help but feel a little flattered. And somehow, he didn't care so much about not getting to see Nazz's drawing; Edd couldn't place his finger on it, but somehow, Kevin's drawing just had this charm that suggested maybe he wasn't this scary bully, but a sincere and passionate individual.

Edd hung up the drawing on the inside of his locker, smiling and staring at the picture, almost forgetting he was supposed to take out his novel.

Suddenly, something clicked in Edd's head. The soft-spoken boy frowned as he focused on the particular part of his drawn self. He gasped, and slammed the locker door shut so he could lean against its surface. He then self-consciously tugged down on his black hat so that it covered half of his eyes.

_How did he know I have blonde hair?_


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter's pretty short, but I think you guys will like it ;) **

**Oh, and just to avoid confusion, (you'll see why) in this universe Edd moved into the cul-de-sac when he was ten. Deal with it.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The rest of the school day was a blur. Edd and Kevin didn't talk to each other after their little encounter in the hallway, but that certainly didn't stop them from thinking about each other. Throughout his classes, Edd couldn't stop thinking about the drawing and how bashful Kevin had acted when Edd had accidentally discovered it. It was so unlike him. And yet Edd found that strangely adorable. These thoughts constantly occupied his mind and caused him to miss a number of lessons; of course, that was no huge loss for the brainy Ed.

It was right as the final bell rang that Kevin zoomed by Edd's desk and discreetly laid down a note folded up in two. Edd frowned.

"What's this?" He quickly opened up the note and read it.

_Hey Double Dork._

_Meet me outside by the bike rack. I gotta talk to you._

_- Kevin (obviously)_

"Hmm, intriguing." Edd folded the note back up and slid it into his pocket. "I wonder what he could want."

Edd pushed open the exit doors and walked outside. He saw that all of the kids had already left … except for Kevin. He was leaning against his bike, deep in thought, not having noticed Edd yet.

"Greetings, Kevin."

Kevin looked up, and smiled. "Hey, Double D. So I'm guessing you read my note."

Edd nodded. "I most certainly did. And I'm curious as to what it is you wish to tell me."

Kevin took a deep breath. "All right. Listen, man. I'm not really a Hollywood speech kind of guy, so I'm just gonna come right out and say this, if that's cool with you."

Edd nodded.

Kevin took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair before speaking. "Right. So, uh, the actual reason I made that drawing earlier, is because-" His cheeks flushed pink. "-I like you."

Edd felt his heart skip a beat, but kept a straight face. "I see. Go on."

Kevin shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at the ground. "I know I'm probably the last guy you'd expect to hear this from, but it's one hundred percent true. I think I've had a crush on you ever since you moved here—crazy, I know. And I tried to make it go away, but it's just one of those things that, once it's there, it's gonna stay there. If you ask me, it's your fault. I mean, how can anyone resist you, you're so frickin cute!"

Edd couldn't help a smile. He'd never heard Kevin use the word 'cute' before. And using it to describe him, well, that was more flattering than any compliment he'd ever received.

Kevin went on. "Anyways, you have, like, no idea how long I've been wanting to get this off my chest. I know we're not supposed to like each other, and it's totally cool if you don't feel the same way or you like someone else, cause, you know, I'm not gonna force you to go out with me. Sorry if this seems kind of abrupt. I guess it was now or never."

"Kevin…" Edd was still in shock over what he'd just heard. Could it be? That Kevin, his so-called enemy, had declared his one and only love for him, and so calmly and casually?

Edd swallowed hard. "I take it you don't have feelings for Nazz?"

Kevin shook his head. "Nah, not anymore. She's a good friend and all, but that's about it."

Edd looked down at the ground. "I'm flattered, Kevin, really I am. But I just …" He didn't know what to say. Of course he liked Kevin back. And here was the perfect opportunity to let him know that. But suddenly, the knot in his stomach was so tight, and his throat was so dry, that he could barely form words in his head, let alone say them out loud.

Kevin sighed. "No, I get it. It's not mutual. That's totally fine, I guess I shouldn't have put all that pressure on you. Sorry if I things are totally awkward between us now." He started climbing on his bike, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Edd's gap-toothed smile.

"Now who said anything like that?" Edd asked. "Like I said, I'm flattered, Kevin. And I would love to go out with you."

Kevin's eyes lit up. "For real?"

Edd nodded. "I've had a crush of my own for some time. I would have never had the valor to admit it, but you gave me confidence to do so. I admire that in a person."

Kevin looked at Edd in a way that he'd never looked at anyone before. "Sorry, did I say I like you? That's an understatement. I frickin _love _you, man. Seriously. And, uh, just so you know, I never meant any of that shit I said or did to you in the past. It was just because you were one of the Eds, and I couldn't give you any special treatment." He scowled as he realized how stupid that sounded.

Edd nodded. "I assumed as much. All is forgiven."

Kevin grinned. "Sweet." He looked over at his bike. "So … you want a ride back to your place, _baby_?"

Edd's cheeks began to glow. "That sounds splendid, Kevin." He began walking over to Kevin's bike, wondering for a second where he was going to sit, when suddenly Kevin kissed him on the cheek.

Kevin chuckled when he saw how red Edd's face became. "Yeah, this is gonna be fun."


	5. Chapter 5

It was safe to say that the following week was like nothing Edd had ever experienced before—in a good way, mind you. Ever since he and Kevin had confessed their love towards each other, they kept finding ways to meet up, whether it was after school, at Edd's house—since his parents were virtually never at home—or even at lunch. Edd had begun helping Kevin with his studies, and to his pleasant surprise he discovered that the jock really did have the potential for good grades as long as he made a decent effort. Meanwhile, Kevin had been helping Edd overcome his fear of dodgeball by playing one-on-one games with him in the gym after school. While Edd was logically terrified at first, he eventually realized that it wasn't so bad, much to Kevin's satisfaction.

Edd found it almost ironic how just last week, he'd dreaded showing up to school because he would have to face Kevin—his former tormentor, the same person who now provided him with a feeling of comfort he had never felt before.

However, despite the fact that they were undeniably a lot closer now, they hadn't gone as far as real kissing yet. Edd wanted to take things slow, preferring communication over physical gestures. Kevin understood, and he definitely wasn't complaining. He loved the hand holding, the light pecks, and the hugging. But he knew that pretty soon he was going to crave something even more intimate.

"Be patient, Kevin," Edd said, giving the ginger-haired boy's hand a squeeze. "It'll come eventually."

"You'd better mean that, dork."

* * *

One Friday after school, Eddy—who had miraculously decided to show up for school—was rummaging around in his locker for a cheat sheet he'd stolen from the teacher when Nazz suddenly approached him.

"Hey, Eddy."

He turned around, caught slightly off guard. "H-hey, Nazz. What's up?"

She leaned against the locker beside his. "Not much." She stopped, and reconsidered it. "Well, actually … Have you noticed that Kevin and Double D have spent an _awful _lot of time together lately?"

Eddy nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it. I should have known that Shovel Chin was up to something," he muttered. "And Ed's always crying about, 'Where's Double D, Eddy?' and 'Why doesn't he like us anymore, Eddy?' Ugh. It's just not the same without Sockhead."

Nazz sighed. "Yeah. I guess the reason I ask is because … it's just so weird. I mean, I know Kevin doesn't really mind Double D as much as you—no offence—but still, I see them constantly looking at each other in class, and I think I even caught Kevin winking at him once. Am I just going crazy?"

Eddy grinned. "Not at all. If I were you, I'd be miffed too. I mean, it's bad enough that Double D just ditched us like that, but did it have to be _him_?" He gritted his teeth. _That no good Kevin loser. The nerve of him, stealing my Sockhead. Who does he think he is? _

Nazz gave a sympathetic smile. "Actually, there is something else I wanted to ask you."

Eddy looked at her with interest.

"I have a cheerleading thing tomorrow, and since Kevin can't make it-" Eddy rolled his eyes. _I_ _wonder why. _"I was wondering if you wanted to maybe come?"

Eddy was flabbergasted. _Did Nazz just ask me out? _

"I-I, uh-" he stammered.

Nazz giggled, taking that as a yes. "Rad. See you later."

* * *

"A date with Nazz? Well, congratulations, Eddy," Edd said sincerely as he helped set up their newest scam outside Eddy's house. "Though I must admit I am rather surprised."

"I know, who would've thought? Well, not really. If there's any of us three that had a chance of scoring a date with the beautiful Nazz, it's obviously me," Eddy bragged, and Edd rolled his eyes. "Now help me with this stupid parachute, I can't unfold it."

"Can I help, Eddy?"

"In your dreams, Lumpy! You're the one that tangled it all up!"

Sometimes Edd wondered where Eddy kept getting all these ideas from. Skydiving lessons, as if their other scams weren't crazy or hopeless enough. Edd had insisted on putting a mattress down on the ground—after all, jumping off the roof of a 20-feet house with a parachute made of bedsheets could not possibly end well for anyone—and yet he still worried. What if someone injured themselves? _What if Kevin gets injured? _

And speaking of Kevin …

"Hey, Double Dweeb!"

Eddy rolled his eyes as he saw Kevin standing outside of his doorway beckoning Edd. "Looks like your boyfriend's calling you."

Edd frowned. Eddy didn't know about his secret relationship with Kevin, but he was obviously not happy that they were spending so much time together. "I assure you, Eddy, me and Kevin are simply finding some common ground. I would encourage you to-"

Eddy waved his hands to shoo Edd away. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Go make out with him already. You just better be here before the pigeons show up."

Edd sighed. "Right-o. Excuse me." He walked towards Kevin's house, where the smiling athlete was leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey, Edd. So, uh, I'm not interested in whatever crap you guys are doing right now. But I was wondering if you could come inside for a sec, it's kinda important."

"Of course, Kevin."

He stepped inside and followed Kevin upstairs. As they walked up the staircase, Kevin realized that Edd had never actually been inside his house before—well, except for that time he and the other dorks had somehow ended up in his bathtub. He shuddered at the memory.

He walked inside his room and asked Edd to shut the door. He did. Edd watched Kevin as he slowly walked towards him and placed his hands on Edd's cheeks.

"Forgive me."

Edd recognized those words all too well. They were the same ones Eddy had spoken right before he—

"Oh my." Edd barely had time to react before Kevin leaned in and locked his lips on Edd's. The young intellect felt a surge of electricity rush through him and closed his eyes.

After a few seconds, Kevin pulled away and stared at Edd with a serious look the sock-hatted Ed boy had almost never seen on his boyfriend.

"Kevin …"

Kevin looked down. "I know you wanted to take things slow, but I couldn't…" He trailed off, then looked up at Edd with apologetic eyes.

"Kevin, that was wonderful."

"Couldn't help myse- _what_?"

Edd took Kevin's hands, smiling. "It's true, I did want to take things slow … but I've changed my mind."

Kevin grinned in disbelief. "Choice."

Edd let go of Kevin's hands and asked, "So what was it that was so important that you had to tell me?"

Kevin sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh … yeah, I think you should know me well enough by now that when I say things like that, it's pretty much always BS."

Edd rolled his eyes. "Typical. Well, while we're talking, I do have one concern that's been present ever since you and I started dating."

Kevin folded his arms. "What is it?"

Edd sighed. "Sarah. I'm afraid she's still … how should I say this … fixed on me."

Kevin smirked. "Yeah, that was kind of obvious that day she wore your clothes to school."

Edd cringed. "Oh, please don't remind me."

"I've got the same problem. Nazz still likes me."

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Eddy told me he's got a date with her tomorrow."

Kevin blinked in shock. "Dorky? Huh, I guess I underestimated him. I gotta give him props for that. But listen, I think I'm gonna tell her anyways, that we're just friends. Just to make sure there's no misunderstandings. And you should probably do the same with Sarah."

Edd felt a shiver down his spine. "Sarah? But she's so impulsive. I'm afraid she might not take the news very calmly."

"Just let her down easy. You don't even have to go into details or anything. Just tell her you're not interested. That's it. Quick and painless."

"Can't you do it?" Edd pleaded.

"I could, but she's not going to believe me. The only one she'll believe is you. Besides, don't you want to get her off you're back?"

Edd didn't respond, but stared at his feet, still apprehensive.

Kevin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, man, you conquered your fear of dodgeball. You got this."

Edd gave a weak smile. "Very well. I suppose I can talk to her today."

"Awesome, man. I'll call Nazz later. Hey, is it cool if I tell her we're an item? Don't sweat it, she can definitely keep a secret."

Edd thought about it for a second, and decided there was no harm in Nazz knowing about their love affair. He nodded. "As you wish. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to Eddy before—as he would put it—he busts an artery. Goodbye, Kevin."

He started to walk towards the bedroom door, when Kevin called him.

"Hey, Double D! Hold on."

Edd turned around, only to be struck with another kiss.

As soon as it was over, Kevin grinned and gently pushed Edd out the door. "Now you can go."


	6. Chapter 6

**Here it is, everyone! The final chapter of Love Is In the Ed. Thanks so much for all your love and support, you guys are the best :D**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Nazz walked over to Kevin's house and knocked on his door. Shortly, Kevin opened the door and let her in after a quick greeting.

They walked upstairs to Kevin's room; the jock's heart was pounding. _Chill_, he told himself. He had originally planned to break the news to Nazz over the phone, but screw it, he wasn't a wuss. All he'd done on the phone was invite her over. Now came the hard part.

The two adolescents sat on Kevin's bed and for a few seconds, neither of them said anything, only looking at their feet. Kevin eventually decided to break the awkward silence and cleared his throat.

"So, Nazz."

She looked at him curiously.

"I … have a confession to make. Just promise me that you're not gonna freak out."

She nodded.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, so this isn't gonna be easy to say, and the reason I'm telling you now is because, I figured you'd rather hear it from me than find out for yourself." He shut his eyes. "I'm gay."

Nazz was stunned. "_What?_"

Kevin chuckled. "Yeah I know, shocking right? I actually didn't believe it myself until a couple of weeks ago. I always thought I loved you—well, I guess everybody thinks that. But now that I think about it … I only _wanted _to love you. Really bad. Cause it's almost like an unwritten rule: popular guys are supposed to dig chicks, y'know? But not me, I guess.

"The reason I wanted to tell you is because, well, I'm tired of hurting you. I don't want to keep rejecting you, cause it honestly makes me feel like a jerk. I just want us to be friends."

Nazz didn't respond. She only stared at the wall, still dumbfounded.

Kevin continued. "And plus … I've kind of started seeing someone." He smiled.

This got her attention. She turned towards him and saw the glimmer in his eyes. "That's great, Kev," she said, smiling. "How long have you guys been going out?"

"Just one or two weeks."

"Well congrats, I'm really happy for you guys! I'm actually seeing somebody too."

"Yeah, I heard. Just a warning: Eddy's ex-girlfriend is like, super jealous. She's round, silver, and two inches tall."

Nazz giggled and threw a pillow at him. Kevin laughed too. Soon, they were joking around with each other and the brief awkwardness from earlier completely disappeared.

Nazz lay down on Kevin's bed and asked, "So who's the special someone?"

"Guess. He's from the cul-de-sac."

"Hmm … it's not Rolf, is it?"

Kevin shook his head. "No way. We're best pals and everything, but I'm not into him like that. Besides, I think he might be asexual or something."

Nazz nodded. "Good point. Um … Jonny?"

Kevin scoffed. "What? Come on, Jonny, seriously? You're not even trying! And before you ask, it's not Plank either."

Nazz snorted, and playfully kicked him. "Okay, so it's not Rolf, not Jonny … Jimmy."

"Fluffy? Nah. I wouldn't be surprised if he's into guys, but he's a little too sissy for me. Don't tell Sarah I said that."

"Right. So … it's one of the Eds."

"Now you're getting warmer."

"Well, since it's obviously not Eddy…"

"Hell no."

"Ed? He's a really sweet guy."

"Keep going."

Nazz gasped, and sat up in the bed. "Double D?"

He smirked. "How'd you guess?"

"Wow. No wonder you guys hang out together so much! God, I'm such a blonde. But I got to tell you, I never thought you'd be into his type."

Kevin stretched out on the bed and sighed. "Me neither. But everything about him is just so … ugh_, _where do I even start? First off, he's so easy to please. Like, the first time I ever got a B on a test—with his help, of course—he literally applauded me. For a B! And he makes you feel so comfortable around him. He doesn't judge anyone and he'll always put in a good word for you. He's always willing to give people a chance. I guess that's why he likes everyone.

"Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, he's got all this unique, quirky stuff. Like did you know he has a cactus in his room named Jim? Tell me that's not interesting. He's pretty funny too, when he's not freaking out about germs and stuff. And, yeah, sometimes I can't understand what he says, kid's a walking encyclopaedia. But it's cool, cause I can never guess what he's gonna say next, keeps me on my toes.

"Sometimes he's kind of uptight, but I don't mind. Makes it more fun to mess with him. Oh, and he's _extremely_ patient. Cause let's face it. If I had to hang out with those two dorks _all _the time, I'd want to rip my hair out.

"So let's see. He's a freaking genius, he's really sensitive, but in a good way, he's loyal, trustworthy, always polite, and … he is beyond cute. God, I can't believe I said that. But it's true. I've always had a crush on him. It was really subtle at first, but then it got to the point where I had like a million dreams about him and it was driving me crazy. That's when I knew I had to tell him."

Nazz looked at Kevin in amazement. "Oh my gosh. That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard! He's lucky to have you, Kev."

Kevin blushed, smiling happily. "He sure is."

There was a short silence. Kevin sat up and looked at Nazz. "So we're okay, right? No hard feelings?"

Nazz smiled. "It's all good, dude." They hugged.

* * *

Edd was completely and utterly in shock. He thought she might explode in a fit of anger, he thought she might burst into tears, but never in a million years did he expect Sarah to calmly say, "Oh," shrug, and then say,

"Well, why the heck didn't you tell me sooner?"

Edd suddenly felt embarrassed. "I suppose, well, I was afraid that, um-"

"What? That you'd hurt my feelings? Look, Double D, it was nice of you to be so considerate, but you should have told me that I was barking up the wrong tree."

Edd nodded. "You're right Sarah, I apologize. I should have informed you earlier that I was only interested in remaining friends."

Sarah sighed. "I can't believe I wasted all those years flirting with you."

Edd walked over to her and smiled. "Oh, now don't say that. You're still at a very young age, and there's plenty of years left to find other people. But I suppose if you are eager to get a head start, I'm sure that Jimmy's available."

Sarah looked up. "Hey, that's a great idea! I've kind of been ignoring Jimmy lately. I guess I should apologize to him though."

Edd glanced at the ground. "Sarah?"

"Yes, Double D?"

"Um, just out of curiosity. Where did you get those clothes you wore when you were dressed like me?"

"Oh, that." She grinned evilly. "Remember when Ed botched up my haircut? Let's just say he owed me a favour in exchange for me not telling my parents that it was him."

Edd thought back to Ed's visit during the weekend after that incident and how long he had rummaged through Edd's closet. "So that's why he brought a suitcase," he muttered. He looked back up. "Well, I must say Sarah, I'm very impressed that you are being so thoughtful and mature about this! Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm gonna call Jimmy. See ya, Double D!"

Edd smiled and waved before heading out of Sarah's room.

He walked downstairs and was about to exit the house, when he suddenly heard noises coming from the basement. Ed was watching another sci-fi movie. Edd had a sudden urge to go visit him. After all, it had been a while since he and Ed had done something together besides scamming, and he was sure that Ed could use the company. He walked down the stairs and opened the door to Ed's filthy room.

"Ed?"

The imaginative boy turned his head from the TV screen and grinned at Edd. "Hello, Double D."

"Watching another monster movie, I see?"

Ed nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh. The Attack of the Evil Zombie Mutants From the Planet Extron. It's a classic. Want to watch it with me?"

Edd considered it for a moment before smiling. "I'd love to, Ed."

So they watched the rest of the film together, each happy in their own way. While Edd wasn't as passionate about the movie as Ed was, he was glad they could finally spend some time together. He knew that no matter how much this new relationship meant to him, he would never give up his two best friends.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, Edd walked out of Ed's house and into the cul-de-sac. He saw Kevin outside of his garage, polishing his bike. Kevin looked up and saw him, then waved. Edd smiled and waved back. He ran over to Kevin and asked, "So how did it go?"

Kevin grinned and flashed a big thumbs-up. "Great. I'm so freaking glad I got that over with. Now me and Nazz can finally relax and be friends. And honestly, I don't really care that she's dating Dorky. I mean, as long as she's happy, right? I'm guessing your little spill session went okay?"

Edd nodded. "Yes. I was rather surprised that Sarah took it so well, but I am thankful that I finally got her out of my hair."

Kevin nodded, then slowly rubbed his bicycle seat. "Cool. So, uh, listen. I was thinking we could celebrate, you know. Maybe go for a ride?" Edd stared at the pristine, silver bike and immediately understood the invitation.

"Where are you planning for us to go?"

"Somewhere," Kevin answered vaguely. He hopped on and patted the area on the seat beside him. Edd walked over and carefully stepped on the bike.

"Hang on, dork," Kevin warned. Edd grabbed onto Kevin's shoulders for protection.

They raced out of the cul-de-sac, the wind rushing past their faces. Everything they passed looked like colourful blurs to Edd, and he was sure they must be going at least thirty miles per hour. But somehow, the fact that he was with Kevin managed to calm his nerves.

They finally arrived at the foot of a steep ledge. Kevin insisted on pushing his beloved bike all the way up to the top—although Edd reassured him that it would be fine to leave it down there since there was little chance of it getting stolen in such a remote area—which meant the climb was even more lengthy and exhausting. Nevertheless, both teens were smiling when they finally reached the summit; by then, the sun was setting, bathing the sky in radiant colours.

"What do you think?" Kevin asked, gesturing to the view beyond the cliff. Edd was speechless; it was absolutely beautiful. He could see everything—the cul-de-sac, the playground, the creek, the trailer park, even the jawbreaker factory. Edd was sorry he hadn't brought along his camera.

"Kevin … this is breathtaking," Edd finally murmured. Kevin smiled and walked over to his boyfriend, wrapping an arm around him.

"Yeah, I had a feeling you might like it."

They decided to lie down on their backs to enjoy the amazing vista, their fingers interlocked. The sun began to disappear over the horizon, and a crimson glow illuminated the sky.

"Edd?"

"Yes, Kevin?"

"Can I take off your hat?"

Edd looked over at Kevin, surprised by the question. But then, he decided, it wasn't such a big deal. "Why not," he sighed. Kevin grinned and eagerly slipped off Edd's black beanie to reveal his blonde hair. Kevin smiled. It was so beautiful to see it in person.

"So that's what you were hiding."

Edd gave him a stern look. "Don't act surprised, mister. I know you were already aware about what my hat concealed. How do you explain the picture you drew of me? I believe you created strands of hair that you chose not to shade in, therefore indicating I have blonde hair. And I've been meaning to ask: just how did you know that my hair is that colour?"

Kevin held Edd's beanie in his hands, gently caressing the fabric like he were holding a beloved pet. "Don't ask me how I got it, cause I don't even remember, but I saw a baby picture of you and you were as blonde as Marilyn Monroe. Since I figured you wouldn't ever dye your hair, I made it that colour when I drew the picture.

"Oh yeah, and _I've _been meaning to ask: why do you still wear the hat?" He passed it back to Edd. "It's like you're embarrassed about it or something."

Edd looked down at his black beanie and held it tightly to his chest. He sighed. "It all started before I moved to Peach Creek. I was conducting an experiment which required the use of some unstable chemicals. Long story short, I accidentally poured one of the chemicals into my scalp and it dissolved all of my hair."

Kevin winced. "Ouch."

Edd sighed. "It wasn't so much painful as it is embarrassing to retell it. Anyways, since my hair grows at an incredibly slow rate, I knew that some sort of remedy would be needed right away. I felt that wearing a wig would be rather silly and guarantee ridicule, and I had never been very fond of bandanas.

"Therefore, one day my father accompanied me to the shopping center to pick out a hat. It was dreadful at first. I couldn't seem to find a single hat that was suitable for me. I was almost ready to abandon all hope when I saw this lovely thing." He held up the beanie and smiled. "It was a perfect fit. It was snug, and soft. I felt so secure.

"Then, over the years, my hair started growing back, but my hat had already grown on me. I suppose I've become so attached to the hat that it's difficult for me to imagine ever giving it up." He slid the black cap back on his head, making sure it was properly adjusted. "And of course, the 'dumb blonde' stereotype doesn't help matters either."

Kevin nodded. "It all makes sense now." He started picking at the grass, the dew moistening his fingers. "But no offense, but you make it sound like there's a tumour under there or something. Making us all worked up over nothing. Let's make a deal, Double D. When we come out to everyone, the hat's coming off. You can still wear it if you want, but I think it's about time you let the others see what's so damn mysterious."

Edd observed a small insect that was crawling along the grass. "Agreed. Speaking of which, how long are we going to keep our relationship in the shadows?"

Kevin shrugged. "I dunno. Till we're in high school, maybe. It's only a couple of months away."

Edd nodded. Somehow, that was all he needed to hear in order to feel reassured. He knew that eventually they would disclose to everyone their relationship, but there was no need to worry about that for now. There was no rush. All that mattered was that they finally had each other.

Edd and Kevin continued to lie on the soft grass until the sky went indigo and a myriad of stars began to materialize, creating a dazzling view for their eyes. Edd knows that this is a perfect moment. Lying there with Kevin, looking up at the stars. The whole experience, ever since they arrived at the top of the cliff, has been fantastically overwhelming. And Edd can't think of anyone he'd rather spend it with.

"Kevin?"

"Hmm?"

Edd rolls over and looks into Kevin's eyes. "Being together, with you, is so enchanting. Months ago, I would have never believed in the notion of soul mates, but now I would be more than happy to spend the rest of my life with you."

Kevin smiles, and gives Edd a quick kiss. "You are such a dork."

Edd has never been so happy to hear that word.

* * *

**Well, that's it. I hope you guys liked it! I didn't want to make this story _too _long, so I think six chapters is a fair amount.**

**Once again, thank you for all your lovely reviews and encouragement; it really means a lot!**

**Peace out.**


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